Hello everyone. Happy New Year!!
I was diagnose roughly 6 months ago. I'm really interested in figure out what shifts I can make in my diet, personal habits to manage this beast more naturally. I'd ultimately like to be off the prednisone. I work out 3-4 times a week and eat fairly healthy. going to try accupuncture soon. That might help with the pain but I don't know what to do about this stupid rash. I could just use some direction.
Much appreciation
I’ve tried acupuncture, but do to financial issues we were unable to continue. She stayed my energy levels were so low that before she could help the pain she had to get my energy levels up. I’ve had a lot of people telling me that I need to go gluten free, so I try and illuminate it where I can. I have only been diagnosed for 9 months and so I am still all new to this. I did hear that cherries are great for inflammation and so my inflammation marker was at 40 after drinking cherry juice for 3 days it went down to 28!
Hi. The only med i use is low dose naltrexone. I do acupuncture and massage and both help immune system tremendously. I do not consume gluten and eat as much as i can raw and organic since pesticides on foods make me worse. I follow the clean 15& dirty dozen. Meditation helps me tooas for the rash have you tried a holistic dermatologist? I see one that has helped my burning and flushing in face. :). Other than that i take a slew of supplements for inflammation. Some of my fav are turmeric, sea buckthorn, flax oil, msm, camu, acai and wild cherry. I have a vitamix and make green smoothies or fruit smoothies as much as possible. Have a good day.
I’m glad u asked this questions because I’ve been having issues with digestive system could be a lot of reasons because I had a bowel obstruction surgery in may I thought I was cured went overboard with diet due to prednisone and anti depressants which increased appitite. I did research and discovered the deficit of glutinous for people with lupus I have eliminated it from my diet and I also only take the prednisone for 5 days top it works for me and I know I’m not a doctor but sometimes I listen to my body because I know these medications are toxic
Eating healthy, organic, natural foods does help. I know from my own experience that doing this really makes me feel better.
But many natural medicine treatments tend to "stimulate" the immune system. My doc doesn't even want me to take vitamin C, except what's in my regular daily supplement, definitely no echinacae--both stimulate the immune system.
My docs actually have prescribed some natural treatments like acupuncture, taking probiotics, coffee (believe it or not). If you are gluten intolerant, there is a test. It's for Celiac disease. Otherwise, I wouldn't fret about the gluten. Take the test.
Your prescribed meds and natural medicinal herbs and supplements can lead to serious consequences due to adverse drug interactions. Your doctor should be your partner when you start this journey. Going of your meds that the doctor prescribes is akin to a diabetic person not taking insulin (to me). Playing with your body chemistry can be dangerous. Go to a holistic practioner too. Go to a registered dietician.
Do some research on the subject. Look up everything you possibly can. Education is our best weapon against this disease.
I found these articles "after" I wrote the above. It's a start.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/lupus/herbs-supplements-for-lupus-tre...
http://www.everydayhealth.com/lupus/complementary-and-alternative-therapies-for-lupus.aspx
You have to hold on!
I am taking Prednisone, 5 mgs a day. I just recently (a week ago) got a bottle of Carnivora, and I am sensing some changes. I am starting to see a lot less water accumulation than before I began taking it. It is an immune system strengthener. I heard about it on the radio, decided to try it. Not much to lose with it. I also am having more energy since I began taking it. It is 100% natural. But, the Pred is probably influencing it somewhat, but, I don't care, just want to feel better, and I am.
Thank you all, very much for your responses!!!
Hello and welcome to The Living with Lupus Family!!!!!!!!!!!! well this is a journey that can have a return trip, but it is Totally up to you !! smile As for the prednisone , i have been taking this med since day one , Feb. 2011, and it helps me very well and no problems . but on my last visit my doctor , who has been the same also since day one , told me that the Lupus is under control and he wants me to stop taking the Prednisone . What ? was the response i told him , and told him that am not going to do that ! So we decided for me, to drop from everyday to do 2 days out of 7 days ( that's so it won't hurt the kidneys) . Okay enough about me -smile dealing with herbs is very tricking !!! make sure that you let your doctor see / know about the things that you want to do with / take (naturally) , cause somethings may not be good for your system with the med dose that you are taking - be CAREFUL . And know that you are NEVER Alone , talk with you another time stay pain free.... Beverly L.
RJQ, you’re not having any immune response from the Carnivora? I was told that anything that is supposed to boost the immune system can bring on flares. Is that only for certain things?
Thanks!
See a dermatologist for the rash, they have all kinds of creams plus ideas about how to help with it. If you get the rash, a dermatologist should be part of your team of doctors...ot how i was instructed years ago.
I personally do not use pred pills. I rather eat right, and when i flare, and i get very sick, i just rest and move slow for how long it takes. Sometimes it is few weeks other times it is months. But that is my choice. I do not like the risks nor side effects that steroids have to offer.
If you hurt...why are you hurting from RA? well NSAIDs work excellently. They are especially great for inflammation which is lupus and Ra. There are many natural products you can use as well to help.
But it can be done....i was convinced at my mid 40's when i would hike 10 miles and felt like tiny hike, they did bone density and my bones were like that of 60 something woman. I had not used pred pills except for few times for at the most 10 days...so it been years. So my point is i never used them regularly or frequently. I worked out daily and my body was in excellent shape...yet from years of using pred pills off and on, since a kid due to severe poison oak allergies, i still was paying for it. My brother in his late 20's had bones of 60 something year old man...due to his use of pred pills and he did not use them regularly either. I doubt many people are as sick as he was...sure there are some but most of us are not near as sick as he.
So it can be done...i am totally behind you and support you to choosing to not use them.
Cherry juice is the latest inflammation drink to come out and stats show in studies it really does help but there are many other foods that do as well. Louters shows how it worked on her. I tried going gluten free...for me, it did not help. When i was hiking and in that great shape i was following roughly mcdougall diet plan....it was fresh food using no oils or fats.I eventually did start using olive oil but minimally.
If you can exercise daily, i think it is huge boost for helping with pain and the fatigue. Same with eating fresh vegetables, fruits etc... Though i get we need healthy carbs, or some of us do. I do think also that there is something to cutting out sugars...honey as well as white/brown sugars, really any sweetener except raw fruit that it helps reduce pain the least amount you eat of those products..so i don't care if it granulate or rice syrup...both can cause you to hurt more, in my own experience.
You might want to join the chronic pain group plus look on pain sites about information to alternative pain relievers. I have used acupuncture and it did help small part but not my RA in my feet or hands. The person said that it is very hard to block the pain in extremities. Acupressure also has helped me and i would have it done regularly on my feet and loved it. Same with massage. Just these things can be costly if not covered by insurance. Acupuncture is now being offered in most insurances since it has been proven to be useful in many health problems.
The LDN, is used for fibro but if you have pain all over and not caused by arthritis, you might want to be check to see if you have fibro. LDN is said to work excellently for fibro pain. There is test now for fibro too...very accurate.
I applaud that you are not going to use pred pills and looking for alternatives. I was diagnosed in early 80's and no one i knew was on steroids regularly back then...we just lived through the flares. So it can be done...plus look at all the problems people are talking about now trying to get off it. I would not want to get dependant on drug again for nothing. I say that because i was put on narcotic pain patch and now i am trying to get off it...so far side effects are less than what they are experiencing but i am doing it very slowly. I wish someone had warned me about dependency of narcotic pain drugs. Not addiction...dependency. I wish you good luck on your quest and like to hear about the natural or other options you are using that work.
If you let us know about what kind of pain you have...might be able to help more.